The Greats: Top Record Book Whitetails by Category

1 | Largest Typical Whitetail

Buck: The Hanson Buck

Score: 213 5/8 Inches

Date: 1993

Hunter: Milo N. Hanson

Place: Saskatchewan

This is the No. 1 typical whitetail of all-time. The Hanson buck. It’s legend to all those who spend time thinking about giant whitetails. And if you’ve never heard of this deer, you’ve got some catching up to do. It’s a stud.

It sounds pretty obvious and even quirky to say, but this deer truly has it all. Tine length? Check. Spread and beam length? Yep. Mass? Pretty solid on that front, too. I don’t think you can fault this deer. And if you do, go the heck on somewhere. This buck is a legend.

2 | Largest Non-Typical Whitetail

Buck: The Missouri Buck

Score: 333 7/8 Inches

Date: 1981

Hunter: Picked Up

Location: Missouri

This Missouri buck is the largest ever non-typical and the most iconic of any that’s ever walked the earth. It has those sweeping main beams with tines and drops and kickers and cheaters that we all love so much. This buck literally has it all from mass, to spread, to tine and beam length. There is no critiquing this deer.

As we know, hunter-harvested and picked-up bucks are put into the same records category. This buck, the largest known whitetail to ever walk the earth, is full of mystery. How did it die? Old age? Predators? A bullet that missed the mark? A not-so-well-placed arrow? We don’t know and likely never will for sure. Sure, there are theories out there. Several have their opinion as to how the deer met its demise. But the real truth? That’s still out there somewhere.

3 | Whitetail with the Most Inches of Abnormal Antler

Buck: The Ohio Buck

Score: 328 2/8 Inches

Date: 1940

Hunter: Picked Up

Location: Ohio

Everyone is most likely familiar with this Ohio buck, too. It’s the No. 2 non-typical of all time. Interesting enough, it sports 192 7/8 inches of abnormal antler. That’s about 2/3 of the buck’s overall score.

Scores aside, this is another mystery buck. This tank was found dead in Portage County, Ohio. The crazy trash this deer has hanging off it propelled its score all the way up to being the second largest known whitetail ever to become legend in the Boone & Crockett record books. It’s a hoss. And it has plenty to boast about.

This deer, somewhat similar to the Missouri buck in regard to the frame, has trash going everywhere. But it’s the mass that truly sets this deer apart and makes it shine. Sure, the infinite number of points don’t hurt anything. But when I think of the Ohio buck, I think of its mass.

4 | Whitetail with the Widest Outside Spread

Buck: The Clark Buck

Score: 235 4/8 Inches

Date: 1957

Hunter: James L. Clark

Location: Ohio

This buck might not be as familiar to you as the first three, but it deserves just as much respect for what it accomplishes. It’s takes the cake for the Boone & Crockett deer with the widest outside spread. It beat out all other bucks in the typical and non-typical categories to achieve this notoriety.

The photo simply doesn’t do it justice. A mega-giant if I’ve ever seen one. Taken by James L. Clark in 1957, this stud came out of Ashtabula County, Ohio, and sports a 38 1/8-inch outside spread. In case you didn’t notice, this is the second buck on the list to come out of the Buckeye State. But there’s more.

5 | Whitetail with the Longest Main Beam

That’s right. Another buck out of Ohio. Half of the bucks on this list came out of one state. If that doesn’t sell you on this place as one of the best hunting destinations, nothing will.

You may never have heard of the Stephens buck before. But if you haven’t, and even if you have, it’s important to know this buck has done something better than any other buck — grow a giant beam.

Coming out of Highland County, Ohio, this whitetail took top honors for the deer with the longest main beam. Again, both beams beat out all other typical and non-typical deer entered into the Boone & Crockett record books. Right main beam is 34 1/8 inches. The left main beam is 35 1/8 inches. That’s simply unheard of. A true giant.

6 | Whitetail with the Least Points to Make the Books

Buck: The King Buck

Score: 163 Inches

Date: 2002

Hunter: Brian R. King

Location: Kansas

The final buck on our list is one I’m fairly certain you’ve never heard of. It’s the whitetail with the least number of points to make the Boone & Crockett record books. And it did so with only three points on each side. It had four, but both brow tines were broken and were not long enough to count as a measurable point. And that fact alone earned it a spot on the painted fireplace of fame above.

Brian R. King killed this buck in Clark County, Kansas, in 2002. The only Kansas buck to make this list, it represented the state well with its huge 163-inch 8-point frame. A true stud. And one worthy of the fame it probably hasn’t ever received. Any hunter would be proud to take such a deer.

I’ll be the first to admit that big bucks are not the reason I hunt. If you want to know why I hunt, check out the series The Reason for the Hunt we’ve been producing for the last few months. Then you’ll know why we do what we do.

That said. We do love big whitetails. They do get our blood pumping when we see one on the hoof. Just about every deer hunter I know would. And rightfully so.

There’s nothing wrong about pursuing giant whitetails. In fact, the wildlife management that often goes with that helps the entire herd to thrive. It’s great for the resource — but that’s a discussion for another time.

This post is dedicated to the best of the best. The biggest of the legendary whitetails. And the crowned kings of their respective records.

Some of the following categories are commonly documented. Some of them are a bit quirky and never touched on by the media. Some of these deer you’ll certainly recognize. Others you may not. Either way, each of the following six whitetails are true legends, and they deserve respect for growing such impressive antlers.